Win over Italy enough for 7th place at World Cup
Manila, 9 September - Slovenia defeated Italy 89:85 at the FIBA Basketball World Cup on Saturday to finish seventh overall at the tournament.
Okinawa, Japan
The Slovenian men's basketball team.
Photo: FIBA
This is as high as the team has ever climbed at the World Cup and the same result as in Spain in 2014.
NBA star Luka Dončić was once again the top scorer with 29 points, which brings his average at this World Cup to 27, likely making him the best scorer of the tournament.
He is also the first player in 30 years to have scored more than 200 points, 50 tournaments and 40 assists at the World Cup.
The team leave the tournament slightly disappointed as the aim was to reach the semi-finals.
"True, we did have higher goals and have a bitter aftertaste after the defeat against Canada, but for a country of two million people seventh place is quite an achievement," Zoran Dragić said.
Head coach Aleksander Sekulić likewise said seventh place is not a bad result. "I'd like to thank all players who've come to the World Cup and fought bravely and with determination against top teams."